Where My Demons Hide
by Wizards-Pupil
Summary: Hermione thinks near-death experiences should come with instruction manuals. It can't be normal for someone who survived dying to continue trying to kill themselves, right? Fred Weasley nearly died during the battle and now he dreams of lights. Lights he'll do anything to see again. Can a desperate twin, a determined bookworm, and a few dedicated friends rescue him from the lights?
1. The one where the story starts

**Title: This is My Kingdom Come  
****Rating: T  
****Paring: Fred/Hermione  
****Summary: **Lights were surrounding Fred. Everything around him was too bright. Fred was dying, and nothing could save him now. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. "Please, god… Let me live." He whispered. He let Fred Weasley survive, living is going to be up to Fred. And it's going to be a lot harder when all Fred can think about is returning to the lights.

* * *

Fred kind of really needed to scratch his nose. It was itchy, but now didn't seem like a good time. Potentially life threatening and all that jazz. If he took a moment to scratch the itch on his nose, well, it'd probably be the last thing Fred would ever do and that would suck as an obituary. '_Fred Weasley. Died from scratching his nose during an explosion_.'

Because, you know, Fred Weasely was in the middle of a battle. Dumbledore's Army was fighting to keep You-Know-Who out of Hogwarts, again, and it wasn't going so well.

And wow, battles were messier than Fred had remembered. He'd fought in two battles now, and several skirmishes, but he'd forgotten about the general chaos. It was basically impossible to keep track of anything, or anyone. It was all just heat and noise and motion.

Fred twitched his nose before firing off another spell in an attempt to relieve the irritation. It didn't work. It seemed to get worse, actually.

He thought it might be harder to keep track of who was on which side. Thankfully it wasn't too hard. The Hogwart students and what was left of the Order had shed their robes and wearing their plain clothes instead. The Death Eaters were still wearing their robes. Still, Fred was glad he was stuck with the job of protecting the secret tunnels. It also helped that the Death Eaters had masks on. It made it easier to pick out who he needed to hit. If you had a weird white face, you were getting hit by a spell.

Maybe if he rubbed his nose against his shoulder he could get rid of the itch before anyone could hit him.

Percy was on Fred's left, and Fred was fairly certain that Hannah Abbot was somewhere behind him. He thought he had seen Harry and Ron, but he was probably imagining it. His mind was wandering and it was not a good time to have drifting thoughts.

If his bloody nose would stop itching he could focus a bit more.

"I'm resigning!" Fred only caught the tail end of Percy's words, but they warmed his heart and made him laugh in glee. His brother-the one he thought had betrayed him and would never come back-was fighting by his side against the Minister himself! And he was joking, how could Fred not laugh and love him?

_Constant vigilance!_

Moody's words came flooding back to Fred the moment he turned towards Percy. His mouth was moving, laughing and talking without his consent.

"You're joking, Perce!" He knew he needed to keep his attention on what was going on behind him, around him. There was a battle underway and being distracted by a joke was not a good idea. Especially when it sounded like they had a giant in the tunnel beside him. Which really didn't make too much sense because logistically it was impossible to fit a giant in the tunnels.

Not to mention, if Fred was going to get distracted from firing spells, it needed to be because he was scratching his extremely annoying, and irritated, nose.

_The moment you're not paying attention, your enemy will be!_

Moody's warning hammered through Fred's head with the force of a blast. He could feel it drumming through his entire body. A flash of light in his peripheral vision caught his attention and he spun his head to the left to see what it was. There wasn't anything there. He'd been hallucinating.

"I haven't heard you joke-" Another light, a figure this time. It was burly and looked like it had a cane. An oddly familiar form. Fred couldn't focus on it before it was gone. "Since-" something was very, very off. Time wasn't right anymore. Percy was moving too slowly. In fact, he wasn't moving at all. Nobody was.

Fred forgot about his nose. He forgot about the fact that he was supposed to be keeping 'constant vigilance!' And that this was probably just a trap. Fred was freaked. He spun around, and realized that nothing around him was moving. Everything was frozen. He blinked and noticed something in his peripheral. He spun to his right and the figure of light was back. It was more solid now.

Fred blinked again, and gasped when he opened his eyes.

Lights, lights were everywhere, completely surrounding him. Figures, he almost recognized them. They were so familiar. Friendly faces he knew.

They were warning him. Fred had no idea how he knew that, but he did. The lights- the figures- were warning him about something. He tried to ask, tried to open his mouth, but he couldn't.

Then, as quickly as they appeared, they were gone and time was moving again. Percy's face, which had just been spread in a joyful smile, was now drawn in utter terror. His mouth was opening up, he was shouting something. What was he trying to say? Fred had no idea, he just knew in his gut that it was a warning.

It was a little too late. A warm blast came from Fred's right, and then it was surrounding him. Stones flew through the air, and hit Fred. Pain instantly flourished throughout his body, and he heard distinct cracking sounds echo in his ears. He was fairly certain those were his bones.

_Help!_ Fred couldn't even speak the word as he fell to the floor in a crumbled heap. He'd never felt so much pain before. It was already consuming him, already making his heart stop. It was alarming but there wasn't time to think it through. His brain wouldn't stop gathering information about every single part of his body that was breaking long enough for him to accept the pain.

_Please, God. Let me live. _He had no doubt in his racing mind that was what was happening to him. Fred Weasley knew he was dying, and it scared him senseless.

He was barely able to feel the pain as the back of his head cracked against the floor. That was the nice thing about the human body. It could only record pain in so many places at once. Between his crushed legs, his slashed arms, his cracked ribs, and the rest of his slowly burning body, his head probably thought it was a bad time to complain. Which was wrong on his head's part. Fred would welcome the pain in his head as a distraction from the rest of his screaming body.

Something very weird was going on with Fred's breathing. Or rather, not going on with it. He was sucking in air for all he was worth, but his lungs weren't responding. They weren't taking the air in, or pushing it out. They were stagnate. It was almost like the signals his brain was sending were getting lost in route.

This was what terror felt like. His entire body was throbbing with it. Every sense was saturated with the absolutely horrible feeling. The all-consuming fear was robbing him of thought, and his failing body couldn't fight the fear off.

Something in his leg shifted, cracked, and he realized, with a fresh jolt of pain, that someone was trying to get to him through the mess of boulders. He couldn't see, well, no, that wasn't quite right. His eyes were open and they were passing images onto his brain, and his brain was receiving those images, it just wasn't doing anything with that information. Fred couldn't make sense of what he was seeing.

It was an utterly bizarre feeling, and one he really, really hated.

Fred needed his twin. Where was George? He'd been assigned to a different tunnel... He wouldn't be there to see Fred. That was good, Fred didn't want George to see him die, even though he wanted the comfort of his twin's presences. He wouldn't be that selfish. He didn't want George to blame himself for not saving Fred. He'd hate to have to watch George die. He'd rather die alone than hurt George in that way.

He couldn't hear either. Actually, now that he thought about it, the only sense that was working was feel. That sense was working brilliantly. Unfortunately, because Fred still felt a hell of a lot of pain. His skull kind of felt like it was on fire, engulfing his head and burning him up from the inside out. He tried to cry out and couldn't. So his vocal chords were on the no-go list as well.

And suddenly, on the next attempted inhale, there wasn't so much pain. His vision kicked back in, but it wasn't quite right. Everything around him was too bright. It reminded Fred of when his mum would throw the curtains back to wake George and him up. Everything was just light. There were odd shapes in the light as well. Fred blinked and couldn't help but wonder if he'd died and just woke up in heaven. He would have laughed at the thought if he could get air in his lungs. Fred had never believed in Heaven. He really should have though, all things considered, because they'd spent the last few years in Hell. And, if Hell existed, then Heaven probably did.

But no, Fred didn't believe in heaven, so what was going on?

One of the forms came nearer and got a bit clearer. Fred could finally make out that it was a man. He'd guess the man was a little older than himself. He had fiery red hair that stuck out in all directions. His brown eyes were extremely familiar, and his smile was comforting, oddly so. Fred knew this man, he was sure of it, but he couldn't place him.

A warm breeze blew over Fred and made him shudder. It warmed his chilled body and, strangely, cleared his. Fred groaned, it seemed the thing to do. After all, he had just been dying. Groaning was the only way to express the pain he had been in. There wasn't currently any pain, but Fred was wary of its return.

Oh god, he was going to go insane. He was going to go mad and then he was going to die.

"Fred..." A deep voice vibrated through the air. It seemed to completely envelope Fred. "My dear Fred."

Yep, he was going mad. At least he wasn't in pain anymore. And the lights were beautiful. Fred didn't mind going mad if it was like this.

"Fred, you've grown so." The figure drew nearer, his brown eyes filled with love. "You're so close to the end. You're very nearly there."

So, the person knew him then… Who was he? Why did he look so utterly familiar? He wasn't the same figure that had tried to warn him earlier either. That one had been carrying a cane or something.

Fred tried to open his mouth and talk, but he just made a croaking noise_. Please, God. Let me live!_ He thought again, a bit more desperately as he started struggling to move, to breathe, to do anything at all. The red-head knelt beside him and brought a bright hand to his face. He cupped Fred's cheek and smiled softly, his brown eyes twinkling. A strange peace filled Fred at the light touch and he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and bask in the wonderful feeling. It was contentment and belonging and pain-free. It was utter euphoria. He could stay in it forever. It was pure bliss, the likes of which Fred had never experienced before.

"Don't worry, Fred. I'm your guard." The man whispered, his eyes holding Fred's. "I won't hurt you." He leaned in closer and smiled like he was about to tell Fred a big secret. "It's not your time to go."

That didn't make any sense to Fred, but he couldn't find the will to care. He just wanted to close his eyes. He figured if he was going mad, he might as well enjoy it.

"I'm sorry, Fred, but I can't let you do that. You need to wake up." The figures voice started to change with those words, growing higher, shrill almost. He knew the voice instantly. Percy.

The light disappeared and Fred sucked in a breath with a horrible rush of nausea. The pain was back with a vengeance, but he could see now. And breathe. Which, all things considered, was a bit of a relief.

Percy was bent over Fred's head, his face uncomfortably close. His blue eyes were wide, tear filled, and unblinking. He had a gash on his right cheek that was really deep, Fred could almost see bone. It would have made him sick a few years ago, but he'd seen much worse injuries since he'd left Hogwarts.

Another figure tipped forward and Fred recognized him as Ron. He looked even worse than Percy, but Fred couldn't focus on his baby brother before Harry and Hermione were filling his vision. They were all pulling at him. Pushing rubble off his body and trying to get him away as other figures shot at the creatures emerging from the hole in the wall.

Fred gasped for air, his entire body convulsing in shock or pain. Fred didn't know which. He didn't know anything. Well, no, that wasn't true. He did know one thing.

He was alive.

* * *

_A/N: My cousin asked me to do this. I think she might have started the story, but decided it wouldn't be her style. Because she took such good care of me during my last year, I'm going to write this for her. If anyone out there has a story they'd like me to write, send me the summary/prompt, and I'll see about writing it :)_

_Also, to everyone who reviewed Part of the Pack... I'm utterly speechless. I've never read such sweet comments. I actually had to stop reading and just cry from the sheer number of feelings you all managed to raise in me. And I don't honestly cry easily. So, thank you. It really means more to me than I can ever say. I've actually considered trying to convert that story (part of the pack) into an actual novel. It was really near and dear to my heart and I think it could change fairly nicely... What are all your thoughts?_

_Ps. This will be a bit more angsty of a story, but happy endings will happen. I can't write un happy endings. Real life has enough of those for my taste._


	2. The one where Fred wakes up

Fred couldn't breathe, he was drowning. It wasn't the first time, and probably wouldn't be the last time, but Fred hated the sensation. His lungs craved air and no matter how much he looked, he couldn't ever find any.

The fact that Fred knew he was dreaming usually would have woken him up, but tonight the dream wouldn't release its hooks from him. Probably because it was a nightmare, and they never played by the rules.

He was currently dreaming that he was submerged in black, inky water that was as thick as soup and had completely enveloped him. He was trying to swim up, only to discover that he wasn't sure he was actually swimming towards the surface. He had no sense of direction whatsoever.

It was terrifying.

His chest was also beginning to burn a bit. Fred gulped in a mouthful of water and started to actively panic. He flailed to no success and tried to move. His body froze on him and Fred realized he really was going to drown.

Fred sucked in another lungful of water mechanically, his lungs not buying that there was nothing but water around him. The more he tried to breathe, the more water he inhaled. His attempt to preserve his life was killing him.

That hardly seemed fair, but, then, dreams were hardly ever fair. The burning in Fred's lungs got worse and his limbs started to falter. He sunk.

Fred sat up abruptly and looked around before realizing that his head kind of really hurt and while he was at it, his lungs also weren't too happy either. "God," he started to cry but he couldn't get the syllable out. It burned too much. He was awake and no longer drowning but reality wasn't much better than his dream had been.

"Lay down." The word was barked by Fred's side and would have made him jump if he'd had full control of his body. He didn't so he was able to be pushed back down by who ever had yelled at him without offering any real resistance. He looked to his left at the barker and was only mildly surprised to find Charlie.

He opened his mouth, remembered he couldn't talk without pain, and snapped it shut again.

"You're okay. You were hit by an explosion which crushed the entire left side of your body, gave you a concussion, and mangled your chest." A cool hand brushed against Fred's brow and his entire body instantly relaxed. That was George's voice, and his touch. Fred would know it anywhere in any state of mind.

Fred tilted his head to the right with only a little effort and looked at his twin. He didn't have any visible injuries which made Fred relax. "Charlie," George said without lifting his eyes from Fred, "help him sit out. I want him to have some water without choking." Charlie's arm moved under Fred's head and he was being pushed into a semi-seated position. Charlie kept him supported while George brought a cup to his lips. The water was cool and Fred realized he'd been really thirsty. George supported his head and Fred's body sagged in relief at his twin's touch.

"We won, by the way." Charlie stated. Fred swallowed painfully. His chest fluttered strangely and he gaped unattractively at his twin and brother. The three of them had grown up under Voldemort's terror. Fred hadn't really thought they'd ever be free of it. "Harry finished him at dawn."

That would take a while to wrap his head around.

"The family is fine." George said after a moment, almost absently. "Ron's having a sever gash tended, Lee is helping Alicia with healing, Harry's just trying to find time to sleep around all the meetings he's being dragged to, and Hermione is having a few torture scars healed."

"Is that where she's been?" Charlie asked conversationally. George nodded his head slowly and offered Fred another drink.

"Yeah… Bellatrix got her pretty badly before the battle. Bill and Fleur helped her as much as they could, but they couldn't make the scars disappear."

"That bad?" Charlie's voice was nearly a whisper. It made Fred frown. He felt like he was missing something.

George nodded his head again, his eyes growing sad and harder. "Yes. That bitch wrote 'Mudblood' on her arm. After she'd crucioed her nearly senseless."

"Hope she rots." Fred managed. His tongue felt thick but his lungs didn't hurt quite so much.

George beamed. "She won't have to. Mum got her." Fred choked on his water. Charlie pounded his back until he had his breath back.

"What?"

George shared a look with Charlie. "It was incredible. Bellatrix tried to hit Ginny and Mum lost it. She yelled 'Not my daughter you bitch!' and took her down."

Apparently Fred had missed quite a bit. He opened his mouth to ask another question but his eyes grew heavy. He tried to open them but he fell back against Charlie's hand uselessly.

"Go to sleep, Fred. It's okay. We'll be here when you wake up. We're all safe now."

Safe. Now that would take a while to get used to.

-o-o-o-

Fred was tired of hospitals. They were boring. So incredibly, mind shatteringly dull and boring and dear-god-why-did-nothing-ever-happen mundane. George stayed with him most of the time, but his twin was healthy and was needed in the rebuilding efforts.

"What are you doing?" A lilting voice broke the silent air as Fred walked down the corridor. He ducked around a corner and tried to press himself against the wall. He'd already been caught by three healers and he'd been sent back to his room after each occurrence. There wasn't anything to do in there and Fred did not want to just sit around. He was far too bored for that.

"Why are you running?" Fred pressed further against the wall as a figure turned the corner. A short witch in blue robes (the color that patients had to wear) with frizzy hair frowned at Fred. She had a signature hand on her hip and a vial of green potion in the other.

"Hermione?" Fred asked as he relaxed. He'd been running for no reason. Wait. "Are you a patient here?" Hermione nodded her head slowly as though she wasn't certain about Fred's mental state. Fred had seen it a number of times in his life so it was only mildly insulting. "Why?" He accepted a casual stance. Leaning against the wall he crossed his arms and brought a foot up to press against the wall.

Hermione straightened slightly. "It's standard procedure. Anyone who has been subjected to the Cruciatus curse for more than fifteen minutes has to undergo a psych evaluation. Unfortunately they're a little overwhelmed at the moment so my mental health has had to be put on the back burner." She frowned at Fred and he believed she was daring him to question her mental capacities.

"That sucks." He glanced around the empty halls. "I'm guessing you're sneaking out for a midnight walk as well?"

Hermione raised her right eyebrow and allowed the slightest trace of a smile to touch her lips. "Well I didn't get permission, if that's what you're asking."

"Brilliant," Fred cheered before stepping forward and draping an arm over her shoulders. Hermione looked at where his arm was resting on her shoulder before lifting her eyes up to his and raising her right eyebrow again. She had a very flexible eyebrow.

"We're going to break rules together." Fred explained easily. Hermione's left eyebrow raised to join her right one and Fred smiled wider.

"Why?" She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "Isn't it enough that I'm breaking a rule? Must you try and make me commit further debauchery?"

Fred would say he tried not to, but he didn't. He snorted. Loudly. "Honey, you haven't begun to debauche."

Hermione dropped her arms and sighed. "That isn't a real word." Fred nodded his head and stepped forward, taking her with him. "Quite right. I simply don't care. You're the one with mental instability anyway. Shouldn't you be making up words? You're falling down on your job. I'm just picking up your slack."

"And they want me to take a psych eval." Hermione muttered, but she followed Fred.

The evening was already looking up.

-o-o-o-

"One more vial and we should be good." The overly cheerful nurse cheered as she stuck yet another needle into Fred's arm. George was sitting on his other side trying not to laugh, the bugger. "Just a moment more." She tapped the tube and watched intently as it filled up with blood. "Alright. That should be enough."

She put a bandaid on his arm, patted the sore spot and shuffled out of the room. Fred watched her go with a pronounced frown. "She needs to be checked for vampirism." George laughed, which had been Fred's intent. He turned in his seat to look at his twin.

George looked better than when Fred had first woken up. His twin had regained his color and was putting on a little weight. He'd looked nearly dead when Fred first saw him. George studied Fred in return and finally smiled.

"Are you feeling better?" Fred shrugged noncommittally. Physically, he was feeling splendid. He could breathe without pain and his head didn't feel like someone was trying to carve their initials into it with an ice pick

Mentally though… He was simply bored. Nothing was exciting, not that there was anything to be exciting. Everything just felt mundane. Even colors seemed duller. Though, that could just have been because hospital colors _were_ mundane. Fred would kill for a few neon colors. Maybe he could set a few fireworks off?

"Anything I can do to help?"

Giving Fred something to do would have been a nice start. "Not that I can think of. I'm really just bored. There isn't exactly a pleather of entertainment opportunities here."

"That bored?" George asked, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Fred nodded his head and sighed pitifully. It made him sound like he was about four and he didn't care.

Fred threw himself back on the bed and sighed again. George snickered from his own bed and Fred chose to ignore him. So what if he was being whiny? He was _bored_, Merlin curse it! He'd been bored since he'd woken up, if he was honest. Meeting Hermione had been a nice change. It had been thrilling for a moment when he'd thought he was going to get caught. Hermione had also challenged his mind for a few minutes. She'd asked him about his future and pushed him for grander plans. Apparently the twins had grown too stagnate for her.

A pillow to the side of the head drew Fred from his thoughts of boredom and made him fall off the side of the bed in a heap with a squeak of alarm that made his attacker laugh.

"En garde !" George stood atop the bed with a pillow held over his head, ready to strike out. Fred scrambled backwards, a grin lifting his lips as he searched for his own pillow. George kicked one off the bed and jumped down to follow it. Fred rolled forward, claimed the pillow and pushed himself up. George swung out at his right side and missed. Fred ducked and swung at his legs, laughing when he connected. "It won't be so easy, Sir Fred!" George promised valiantly.

Fred beamed and swung again. "I shall accept only a complete surrender, naïve!" Fred declared with a hand placed dramatically over his heart. George swung again while shaking his head.

"Never! Death first!"

"That seems a bit excessive for a pillow fight." Fred nearly dropped his pillow in surprise and didn't avoid George's blow as Hermione strolled into the room with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing is too excessive for a pillow fight." George said and tossed his pillow on the bed. He grinned toothily at Fred. "I win by the way."

"On what grounds?" Fred demanded.

"On account that I'm older." George retorted and stuck his tongue out. Fred frowned.

"Are not." He stuck his own tongue out. "How are you doing, Hermione?"

"I didn't realize you were still here." George added grinning and trotting towards her. He gave her a quick hug which she awkwardly returned.

"I'm doing well enough, thank you for asking. I'm here until they find time to schedule a psychiatric evaluation for me." She frowned and glanced out the window. "By the time I have one I might go crazy from the wait…" She gave her head a tiny shake and plastered her smile right back on. "How are you two? You seem to be keeping busy enough."

George shook his head. "Nah. Just trying to keep Freddie's boredom at bay." Fred sat down on the bed and George joined him.

"Harry is hoping to stop by this afternoon. I want an update on the Ministry. Kingsley was the favorite for taking charge. He seems the best candidate to me."

"Kingsley?" George asked. Fred let himself listen to their voices and simply zone out. He was getting that weird bored feeling again. It made him fidgety.

He didn't care for it at all.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry about how late this is. Last week was intense! _

_So clearly I have a bit of a death wish. I didn't just open a can of worms, I dumped them out in front of everyone and tossed them at my readers. Wow. What a lovely visual I now have. *shakes her head* Anyway I'm going to go very loose and non-descriptive on the whole 'God' thing. I'm a Christian and if you have questions about my personal faith pm me and I'll explain it to you. In HP's universe we know there is some kind of afterlife. We're not given much about it except that you can apparently choose between it and ghost life. Also, Voldy wasn't able to go on from what I understand at the end of DH when Harry goes in the in-between world. I don't know what wizards do or do not believe in but I know there is an after life and ghost, so death is clearly not the end. Also, don't forget the giant arch. There were figures on the other side. (In the ministry of magic/ department of mysteries.)_

_Also, I put a new poll up. Harry, Hermione Ron (51); Fred George and Lee (49); James, Lupin, and Sirius (36); Neville Luna and Ginny (28); Doctor Rose and Jack (17); Sheldon Joward and Leonard (17); Dean Sam and Castiel (15); John Sherlock and Lestrade (15); Doctor Amy and Rory (14); Luke Leia and Han (13) were the top ten winners of the last poll. There were over 70 voters. O.O_


	3. The one where Fred starts to question

_I'm just going to go ahead and tag this at the beginning as a warning for this story. This story will be dark in places and may disturb sensitive readers._

* * *

The first time Fred really considered that something might be wrong with him was a week after he was released from the hospital. He was cleaning up their shop along with George (they finally finished the reconstruction, whoopee!) and Fred was supposed to be making fireworks. It was a dangerous job that required a lot of concentration, a steady hand, and a rather adept knowledge of magic. It was a task that Fred always picked because it was exciting and Fred lived for exciting. After all, you were only ever given one life, why not live it to the utter fullest?

"Fred? You okay?" Bill trotted up to the counter that Fred was sitting on. He had three mini cauldron's in front of him, and a half dozen different powders. There were various measuring devices and a few weights as well as a scale. It screamed of inventing fun and danger.

Fred had fallen asleep on his cauldron of black powder.

That wouldn't have been too unusual in and of itself. He'd fallen asleep countless times on various inventions while he was in school. It was an unfortunate side effect of staying up late to invent. This time Fred had no excuse. He'd slept for over twelve hours. He was well rested. He was over well rested, actually.

Still, that was a minor occurrence. He could write it off as a mere fluke. The big-fat-red flat didn't really rise until five days later. At that point it didn't really raise either; it flew through the air and did an intricate drill that would have made the most talented of color guards jealous.

Hermione had (finally) been released from the hospital and they were all at the Burrow having a 'congratulations you're not crazy!' party for her when _it_ happened.

"Fred?" Molly asked with a tap to Fred's shoulder. He shook himself out of the revere he'd fallen into and realized he had been staring at the wall for the last minute or so. It was the only blank wall in the Burrow, so he hadn't even been staring at anything exciting.

"Yes, mum?" Fred asked like he hadn't just been mindlessly staring at a party. Molly frowned and stepped back a little so that he could turn to face her.

"We're all going out, dear. Are you joining us? George is already by the lake with Lee."

"Of course," Fred said dismissively. He grabbed a scarf off the wall next to the one he'd been staring at and tried to act like that was the entire reason he'd been standing there. It was really too warm to actually need a scarf, but Fred would suffer through heatstroke before he let himself actually look crazy. Not that he had much of a reputation to protect. His family (George and Charlie excluded) had always thought he was a little crazy.

Fred wrapped the purple (?) scarf around his neck and wandered outside with his head held high. It was a soft scarf that he'd never seen before and he was a little curious why he'd decided to grab the _purple_ scarf when his orange scarf had been sitting right next to it but hey! This was a cuddly, soft scarf so whatever.

It smelled like lilacs too, which was nice. Not that Fred would ever say that out loud.

He found George and Lee sitting on the far side of the lake with a game of 'Snatch The Snitch' set up. Ron and Oliver were sitting with them and they were all smiling. Neville, Ginny, Percy, Terry, Michael, Luna, and a few others were playing a rousing game of Exploding Snap. Harry was standing behind them looking out at the lake with Hermione by his side. They were discussing something but Harry was laughing so it couldn't have been too serious. Which was good. Those two needed to learn to let it loose and just laugh once in a while. Even if Fred didn't feel much like laughing.

Actually… Fred didn't really feel much of anything. He'd been kind of… numb? Since he'd woken up. But numb wasn't really the right word. No. He was more just… floating. Not really _not_ feeling, just kind of existing.

It was dull and unsettling and Fred kind of hated it. He'd been sleeping more, because at least his dreams were still vivid and exciting. He was starting to wonder if there was a way he could get that same vividness back in his own life.

Fred stopped in front of the lake and looked around. The others hadn't noticed he'd arrived yet so he had a moment to himself.

The lake was really still. There wasn't a breeze blowing across it, and there weren't any leaves to fall, so it was perfectly flat. It looked pristine. And kind of shallow. You couldn't tell it was over six meters deep. Fred could see to the very bottom, the brown silt of it moving with tiny fish. It was alive. It would be cool since it was only May. The bugs hadn't come yet, not that they were ever a problem thanks to magic. It looked cool and inviting.

It looked exciting.

Fred started walking towards the lake without realizing he was walking. He unwound the scarf from his neck and shoved it into his robe pocket. He shrugged his robe off and slipped out of his shoes. He stood still at the foot of the lake and considered it for a moment. He vaguely thought he heard someone call his name but he ignored it. The water was beautiful. Gorgeous.

Fred's heart started to pound for the first time since he woke up. He could feel his blood pumping through his fingers and his breathing was quickening. Adrenaline started to pump through his system and Fred felt excited. He savored the feeling for a few long moments until it started to fade.

Fred lunged forward into the cool water and relished the sensation of feeling as he sank towards the bottom.

•*¨* •*¨* •*¨* •*¨* •*¨* •*¨* •*¨* •*¨* •

George watched his twin approach with a small smile. He'd been worried about Fred but George was pretty much always worried about Fred. He was the most important person in George's life.

He'd been zoning out and sleeping a lot. George wanted to just blame the latter on the fact that he'd had to do so much healing. It was getting to be a bit of a flimsy excuse though. Still, Fred was coming out to see them so he was at least seeking social contact, which was much more like the Fred George knew and loved and needed.

He raised a hand to wave at his twin but Fred didn't react. He was staring at the lake intently. He was also fingering the fringe on the purple scarf he was wearing. George had no idea where he got the thing as it was clearly a birds. He'd never seen it before though so it wasn't Molly's or Ginny's.

"What's he doing?" Oliver asked curiously. George shrugged one shoulder. He had a nasty feeling churning in his gut. Something was very much not right. He'd only had the feeling once before and it had nearly cost him his twin's very life.

George set his pawn down and stood up, unconsciously brushing his jeans off. He kept his eyes intently on his twin who stopped fingering his fringe. He raised his hands and unwound the girly scarf before shoving it into his robe which he then shucked off along with his shoes.

All the while walking towards the lake.

By now the others noticed George standing which led them to notice Fred. "What's he doing?" Ron asked, a note of alarm in his voice.

"Fred!" George called out. He was frightened and he didn't really have a reason to feel frightened other than the fact that the nasty churning in his gut had now turned to a freezing in his gut. Fred didn't acknowledge his call in any way. He stopped right in front of the lake and stared at it as if it had the answer to all of life's questions.

And then he fell into the water. He spread his arms and fell face forward. George jolted and nearly fell himself in shock. He still didn't have a reason to be feeling so terrified. Fred was an excellent swimmer. He was the one that had always gathered the mermaid scales from the black lake. They had never been able to afford them in their sixth year.

Fred didn't come back up and George couldn't feel anything in stomach anymore. "FRED!" His voice pierced the silent air and George would not have been able to tell you it was his voice that had just shouted out. That voice hadn't sounded a thing like his. It was freaked and high and unnatural.

"Oh god," Hermione gasped behind him and George broke out in a full run, his shocked body finally unfreezing. He reached the water and dove straight in. It was a lot cooler than it had looked. His dive stirred up the bottom of the lake and filled the previously clear water with silt. Still, through the murky darkness he could make out a splash of red.

Fred.

George kicked his feet and pumped his arms, surging forward. His equilibrium was off, probably thanks to his missing and deaf ear, but he ignored it and pressed forward. The blur of red that was Fred was nearly touching the bottom of the lake. He wasn't moving which made George think he'd use a weight spell on himself or something.

He reached his twin and wrapped his arms around him. Fred flopped uselessly in his grip. He blinked blearily but didn't seem to know where he was or who George was. George secured his hold on him and pushed up from the lake floor. He rushed upward, kicking as hard as he could and pumping his left arm with all of his might. They resurfaced a moment later to meet Lee and Oliver who tugged Fred out of the water and laid him flat on the grass. George pushed himself out of the water and went to his twins side.

Neville pushed Oliver aside and pointed his wand at Fred's throat. He mumbled something under his breath and then pushed Fred onto his side. He coughed up water and his entire body shook. George patted his back, trying to calm his own frantically beating heart. He realized with a start that everyone was asking questions and Lee had been addressing him for at least a minute.

"What happened?"

"How should I know?" George demanded, grabbing Fred, who seemed to be done coughing his lungs up, and pulling him to his chest. Fred trembled against him and George held him tighter. "Fred? Fred? Are you okay?"

"C-cold." Fred managed. George reached his hand out and summoned his twin discarded robe. He wrapped it around his form and noted that Hermione, Harry, and Neville were ushering everyone else back a few feet. He'd have to thank them later. Fred struggled to breathe, his body shaking a little.

"Mate?" Seamus asked as he sank down by George's side. He hadn't even seen the Gryffindor come up. He quickly tapped Fred's shoulder. Fred's eyes locked on George's and Seamus smiled softly. "Hey, mate. Just stay still, George has got you." Seamus promised. George adjusted Fred so he was sitting in his lap with his head against George's chest. Seamus smiled again, exuding calm "Just try to get your breathing to match his. It'll help reduce that burning in your chest." He rubbed a hand over Fred's arm while tapping his leg with his wand. Fred's clothes instantly dried and George had to resist the urge to squeeze Fred even tighter. He didn't want to bruise him. He focused on his breathing instead, making sure it stayed steady and even so that Fred's would be the same.

He'd have to thank Seamus as well once he figured out what in the name of Merlin's Sassy Pants had just happened.

* * *

_A/N: So, this is going to be hard to write because I love fluff and parts of this will just not be fluffy. This is going to be kind of like Part of the Pack in that I'm writing about an issue that I notice in real life. I'm not going to tell what that is because it'll spoil the story. ;) _

_Now, I've had a few people ask me to write a story where both Fred and George like Hermione. Is that something that a lot of you want to read about?_


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm just going to go ahead and tag this at the beginning as a warning for this story. This story will be dark in places and may disturb sensitive readers._

* * *

"Alright, you're next, honey." The elderly witch handed Fred a container and directed him towards the back rooms. He could feel George watching him walk away and he tried not to look back and offer him a smile. He was feeling better.

He was _feeling_ better. For instance, he was nervous about what was behind the door the witch pointed him towards. He really disliked St. Mungo's. Which, to be fair, was instinctual. No one liked going to the doctors office.

He probably shouldn't have put up such a fuss at having to come here. He had nearly drowned himself. He hadn't really realized that was what he'd been doing until George had pulled him out and he was coughing up water. He'd been too taken with the sensation of feeling.

He'd glimpsed the lights again as well. Right before George had grabbed him. They'd sparked to life in the corner of his vision. His fingers still itched to reach out and touch them. Would he get that ecstasy again? He'd love to feel that.

"They'll be right with you. Just sit in that chair and they'll take care of you." The witch lightly touched his arm and pushed the door open before leaving. Fred took in the room quickly before he spied the chair in the center. It was wooden and looked horribly uncomfortable. He shuffled over to it grudgingly and sank down onto it.

It was as hard and uncomfortable as it had looked. Of course. He reclined back and crossed his arms over his chest while he waited.

He didn't want to be here. If he needed medical help it was probably psychiatric, not physical. Not that he'd tell anyone that. He wasn't crazy.

A minute or so later the door burst back open and a flurry of white robes and blonde hair rushed into the room.

"Alright! My name is Lavender and I'll be your-Fred?" The figure paused and Fred recognized her as Lavender Brown. She had a nasty bruise on her cheek and a long gash on the other side that matched Bill's. She'd been attacked by a werewolf then?

"Yep, the one and only." Fred replied, not missing a beat. That was a quickly gained trait when you were constantly getting in trouble and getting caught for it. You could be the single most shocked person in a room and never show it.

Lavender glanced at the notepad in her hands and frowned. "I should have put that together." She gave her head a little shake and the large smile she'd come into the room with was right back on her lips. "Well, Fred, how are you doing?" She summoned a rolling stool from the other side of the room and sat down in front of him.

"Well enough." Fred answered with a shrug.

"You nearly drowned?" She asked in a business manner as she shone a light in his eyes. Fred nodded his head, taking a slight evil pleasure at the annoyed look she flashed him as she chased after his eyes with her little light. "How is your chest feeling? Any trouble breathing."

Fred shook his head, already bored with this procedure. "Well, that's good. I'm still in training so I wouldn't have been able to help with that." She gave a little laugh that was remarkably less annoying than when she'd been dating Ron. He remembered helping guard Hogwarts with the Order and coming across the two flirting. "Your chart doesn't mention what lead to the almost drowning. George pulled you out, right? Did you fall or suffer a cramp of some kind?"

Fred froze. He hadn't fallen or suffered a cramp. He'd tried to drown himself, actually. The adrenaline had been thrilling and he hadn't really given the end result any thought.

"Yeah. It was colder than I expected." Fred lied easily. Lavender wrinkled her brow and checked something off her list before peering back up at him. She had a few gold strands of hair falling in her brown eyes.

Fred's skin suddenly flashed a bright purple and Lavender sat back. "Well, your diagnostics spell came back negative so you haven't got any internal injuries. I think you're fine. Maybe try a warming spell next time?" She smiled politely and rolled her chair back a few inches before standing. She scribbled something down before tearing the sheet of paper off and handing it to Fred. "Hand this to the witch at reception and she'll check you out." She gathered her things and paused. "If you see Hermione before I do, would you tell her I'm looking forward to Thursday?"

Fred nodded his head slowly, feeling a little lost and Lavender beamed at him before exiting the room. Witches were so odd.

-o-o-o-

Hermione cricked her neck and tried not to glare too hard at her text book. She had no idea where to look for information on Urisk. They were goatmen but she was having an absurd amount of difficulty with any other information. Muggles seemed to have more written on them than Wizards and that was just insulting.

A dramatic sigh bubbled out of her mouth and surprised her with just how irritated it sounded. She was mildly impressed with herself. She flipped the page and beamed in giddy (and ridiculous) delight.

**_Urisk:_**_ a Scottish type of brownie that is a kind of "goat man." They live near farms and assist in keeping the owners cattle from wandering off. They will also assist in farm work when the farm owners suffer a loss or are incapable of completing the work on their own. If a person abuses their help, or become lazy, they will play tricks and even steal the famers cattle. _

Well. That was hardly helpful. She knew that much from muggle literature.

Hermione set the book down and sighed again. It was no use. She'd have to look elsewhere for information or risk doing her job with no information. She wasn't even sure how she'd gotten in this position. She'd wanted to work with magical law but she'd wound up as a magical creature enforcer. She didn't have to go back to Hogwarts for it, but it was a bit outside of what she wanted.

Who did she know that might have an idea about Urisk? She was fairly certain that an Urisk was the culprit in her latest case but she wasn't really positive. There were muggles involved as well so she had to be extra cautious.

Maybe Hagrid would know something about it?

Hermione stood up and stretched. She relaxed a bit when she felt her back pop and some of the tension she'd been carrying around all day dissolved. Her pocket vibrated and she dropped her arms to her side before reaching inside for the magical notebook she carried.

_Still on for Thursday?_

Hermione smiled at the purple font and quickly wrote back.

_Yes, Lav. Tea or food?_ She only had to wait a moment for a response.

_Lunch. Lunch includes chocolate and Merlin knows we always deserve chocolate. I saw Fred yesterday, by the way. Is he alright?_

Hermione frowned at the paper, an uneasy feeling in her stomach. It had taken George the rest of the day to finally get Fred to go to St. Mungo's. She could hardly believe he'd nearly drowned. It wasn't because he couldn't swim. She'd had to bust them several times at Hogwarts for swimming at illegal hours. They couldn't go at noon like normal people. No. They had to go at two am. They always got the giant squid angry.

_I'm a little worried for him, actually. He seems a little…off? _Hermione carefully wrote out. She absently grabbed her purse and new scarf off the table. She sent a quick note to Hagrid to let him know that he could expect her over soon.

The door to the flat she shared with Harry and Ron opened and the two best friends walked in chatting. Hermione instantly noticed their furrowed brows and her stomach sank. She put her notebook away without reading Lavender's newest message and gave them her full attention. "What is it?"

"We have some bad news." Harry stated blandly. Ron sighed loudly and set his keys down on the counter.

"Harry and I have to move into the training barracks." He said quickly. Hermione was grateful that they cut straight to the chase but she was not at all happy with what she was hearing.

"I'm sorry?"

Harry nodded his head and slumped against the counter. He buried his head in his arms. "It's part of our training. They want all new recruits to complete all their training there." He lifted his head and frowned at Hermione. "That's a little over seven months."

Hermione's entire body slumped. She couldn't afford the rent here by herself for that long. Harry would offer to pay but she couldn't accept his money. He'd lost most of his parents' money in the war. Voldemort had had his funds erased for some technicality or other. Kingsley had offered to give it back to him but Harry, being Harry, had offered it for rebuilding Hogwarts instead.

He was far too noble a git.

"And we can keep paying for it until we find you roommates." Ron was saying. Hermione shook her head and offered them a small smile.

"I'll probably just find a new flat. Don't worry about it." She felt the notebook in her pocket vibrate with what was probably a message from Hagrid. "Unfortunately, I have to go right now. I'll see you two later?" She waited for Harry to nod and then apparated to the front gate of Hogwarts. She didn't even flinch when it started to rain. She'd been expecting it more or less. Her life just seemed to be a bit of a downpour.

-o-o-o-

George was very near to having his first panic attack. He could feel it thrumming beneath his skin, threatening to take over at any moment. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, and he certainly couldn't focus. He'd opened the shop up this morning with a half shaved beard. He'd looked like a right idiot.

All because of his twin.

He'd freaked out when Fred had nearly drowned but he'd written it off as a bit of a fluke.

It apparently wasn't. Something in Fred was off. Horribly off. He kept getting spacy and he slept far more than was healthy. George had spent the last three years of his life in a heavy war. He recognized depression when he saw it. Fred clearly had it.

That could be dealt with. It wasn't the most exact science, and it was often mistreated, but it could be treated. No, simple depression George could handle. Hell, he'd use a cheering charm till he could get Fred medical help. It was the zoning out and causing himself harm that George was having trouble with.

There had been three different occurrences so far. Not including the near drowning a week and two days ago. Fred had 'fallen' off the top of the staircase to their flat. (George was convinced he'd jumped but he hadn't been there to see it.) Verity had been at the foot of the stairs and barely caught stopped him in time with a spell before he hit the ground. He'd Let fireworks fall into a hot cauldron and nearly died in the explosion. George had just put wards up on them because he'd poured to much crumpetor horn in his previous experiment. He'd also spent too much time under water in the bath.

George needed a new plan. He needed help. He needed to get Fred straightened out before George ended up with a nervous breakdown.

* * *

_A/N: __I've had a few people ask me to write a story where both Fred and George like Hermione. Is that something that a lot of you want to read about?_


	5. The one where George has an Idea

_I'm just going to go ahead and tag this at the beginning as a warning for this story. This story will be dark in places and may disturb sensitive readers._

* * *

Hermione was beginning to realize there was a reason that she never babysat. Outside of the whole 'saving the entire world' thing. She simply did not have the patience for it. Or nerves. She could sit in a library for 36 hours, only getting up to use the bathroom, but she couldn't watch a baby for more than forty minutes without going slightly insane.

It might have been that the baby hadn't stopped crying for the entire period of time. There was only so much the nerves could take after all.

It was amazing the notes that babies could hit as well. There was something extremely unnatural and flat out grating about the octave that human ears weren't meant to hear for sustained periods of times.

And little Teddy was currently blue in the face. Not from lack of air (he was breathing just fine which Hermione couldn't figure out because he should have passed out from the sheer lack of air already). No, he was blue because he seemed to like the color. He was getting higher and higher and his hair, which had started off blond, was now black. It grew darker with each belt.

Hermione's ears were ringing and her head was pounding but Teddy still did not quiet.

"Shh," Hermione cooed, rocking Teddy and trying to project a calm she didn't feel.

Teddy didn't care about her faked calm. He screamed all the louder. Hermione began to pace. She brought Teddy to her shoulder and patted his back, carefully controlling the movements less she hurt him. She mentally cursed and hexed Harry who had left her with the very unhappy baby alone.

"Come one, Teddy. I've done all I can. I've begged. I've pleaded. I've even played your favorite songs. What more do you want from me? I'm all out of ideas."

Teddy whimpered before screaming again. Hermione huffed and brought him out. "Is it because I'm not Harry?" She asked. Teddy put his palm flat against her head and pushed back. Hermione was struck by a really silly idea. A wonderful silly idea that might work.

She brought her own hand up to her forehead and drew (magically) a fake scar. She waited a moment, and then brought Teddy back up so he could see it.

He calmed instantly.

Hermione gently lowered herself on the couch, being excessively careful not to jostle Teddy and leaned back against the cushion. Teddy snuffled and snuggled into the crook of her arm.

Hermione did not even breathe. Teddy cooed and then breathed more deeply. He was asleep.

"Hermione!" An overly loud voice boomed from the kitchen. Hermione jerked and gripped Teddy more tightly.

"Fred," She hissed, knowing the voice and instantly feeling an irrational anger towards it. "Shut up!"

"Do you want to go outside? It's a lovely day out." Hermione shook her head and peered over her shoulder.

"No, I'm not going to move because when I move, this baby I've _finally_ gotten to fall asleep will wake up. When he wakes up I'll probably kill you, and then I'll kill myself, and then he'll never get asleep."

Fred's eyes widened and dropped down to take in tiny Teddy. His lips instantly lifted up in a grin and a giggle escaped him before he clamped a hand over his mouth. "Oh god, it's four, innit?"

Hermione nodded her head and scowled.

"He's astounding isn't he? I think he can expand his lungs."

"I've met banshee's that were quieter." Hermione declared a little darkly. Fred grinned wider and walked around the couch. He sat on the floor in front of her and turned to stare at Teddy. His smile softened.

"He looks like them when he sleeps." Hermione nodded her head. She didn't care to dwell on sad thoughts right now. She decided to change the subject.

"Have you babysat him before?" Fred scooted closer and trailed a finger lightly down Teddy's arm.

"Twice."

"When?" Hermione prodded. She was quite good at getting unwilling parties to talk. Harry could be a right prat when he didn't want to talk and Hippogriffs weren't as stubborn as he was.

"Right after I was released. Harry and Andromeda had to go shopping or something. I was in the house and I hadn't gone batty at his screams so I won the duty."

"I think that was my mistake." Hermione confided. Teddy gurgled in his sleep and Hermione's heart melted a bit. He was adorable when he wasn't screaming. "I pretended I wasn't on edge."

"And you thought babies would be easy to take care of." Fred grinned. Hermione chuckled softly and nodded her head.

"I did. Teddy got great joy in proving me wrong." Fred laughed again and Hermione smiled.

-o-o-o-

"Hey mate," George grabbed Ron from the side and covered his mouth. He brought a finger to his own lip in the universal sign for 'shh' before peering back in the window at Fred and Hermione. Ron remained still so George slowly removed his hand. He wasn't taking any risks today.

"Why are we spying on them?" Ron instantly asked in a whisper. George nodded his head in approval before looking back at the quietly laughing Gryffindors. That was the third time she'd made him laugh in five minutes. It was amazing.

"Because I don't want to wake Teddy." George replied matter-of-factly. Ron raised a bluff-calling eyebrow. George rolled his eyes. "Fine. I don't want Fred to know I'm here."

Ron continued to stare and George sighed. "_Alright_. Circe's. Give me a break? Fred's been… well. Off. I've had enough of it, okay? I want him to get better and he currently is laughing at Hermione. And I'm now trying to think of ways to kidnap her and handcuff her to Fred because she made him laugh last week as well, and she entertained him while they were at St. Mungo's-what?"

Ron was staring at him with initial wide eyes that had turned conniving. Ron turned to spy at Hermione and Fred before grinning in what was, frankly, a creepy manner. "Hermione needs a new place to live, you know."

"Pardon?" George fully turned to face Ron and stared expectantly. Ron kept looking at Hermione and Fred.

"Harry, Hermione and me all share-shared- a flat. Harry and me have to move to the Auror Barracks while we're training. It's too long for her to just keep paying the rent by herself and she won't accept money from either of us. She needs a flat mate or a place that is renting cheaper."

"Oh." George breathed and craned his head back at the window. Fred had climbed up on the back of the couch and was playfully poking Teddy while Hermione glared at him and tried to swat him without waking the baby. Fred was cackling like a maniac. George grinned. "Think she'd like to try our flat? We have an extra two rooms."

"Really?" Ron asked, surprise showing on all his features. "Why didn't I know that?" He furrowed his brow before giving his head a little shake. "Never mind. Yes. I'm sure she'd accept. Especially since she doesn't know you know she needs a flat, you know?"

George raised his right eyebrow and peered up at his little brother. His freakishly tall little brother. "I think you just wanted to see how many times you could say 'you know' in a sentence."

Ron shrugged. "So?"

George looked at his smiling twin and felt his chest squeeze around his heart. "Yes. I'll offer her a room tonight."

Ron sighed heavily and stood up. He danced off his knees and straightened his robes. "I'll take Teddy. He'll be screaming in a moment so just know this shows how much I like all you gits."

"Is Hermione included in that git list?" George asked curiously. Ron peeked at Hermione before shrugging.

"Ordinarily? No. Today? Yes. Teddy screaming will make anyone a git." He pushed George towards the door. "Go, now. Go before I change my mind and decide chivalry is dead."

-o-o-o-

"So you were having lunch with Lavender last week?" Fred asked casually. Hermione nodded her head and rocked Teddy a slight bit. Her arm was getting tired.

"Since when have you two been friends?"

"Lavender," Hermione started slowly, her eyes on Teddy's face. "I could talk about our relationship for hours. We have always had a complicated relationship. We have to live with each other so we know sides of the other that not everyone has. She drove me up the wall-she had the bed next to mine. She loved makeup and despised reading. She was popular and all the boys wanted to date her." She stared at Teddy who gurgled and smiled in his sleep. "It took me a while to notice that she was always frowning when she didn't think anyone was looking. She had a sad air about her at night that never really went away. It wasn't until my sixth year that I figured out her secret. She found me crying on my bed and told me she'd tell me a secret if I told her one. I told her a few and she told me some. We started to talk and discovered we actually had a lot in common." Fred gave her a look so Hermione hurried to explain. "I mean, she only appears shallow. She's quite nice and rather smart. She'll make a fantastic healer."

Fred nodded his head and twirled one of Teddy's newly made curls. "I knew a lot of people but I think you probably had more friends than I did at Hogwarts."

"Really?" Hermione asked in mild surprise. "You were always so popular."

"Yeah but I had very few close friends. George, Lee, Angelina, Alicia, Oliver, and Verity were really it."

"A lot of people were worried to talk to you. Harry, Ron, and I made a lot of friends because we were constantly in trouble and in need of some form of help."

Fred shrugged a shoulder and slid down the couch so he was actually sitting next to Hermione. He was warm.

"Hey you two." George said quietly from the door way. Hermione gave him a warning glare that he responded to by raising his hands in surrender. "I'll be quiet."

You had best be." Hermione declared. Ron came up behind him and slipped around him and the door frame. He stopped directly in front of Hermione and held his hands out expectantly. She regarded them wryly.

"Really? You want him?" Ron nodded his head.

"Well, yeah. He's behaving, isn't he?" Hermione snorted and slowly handed the baby over.

"You're a right prat." She said, shaking out her arm. Ron nodded again and shifted the baby around while he smiled dopily down at Teddy. He walked out of the room cooing nonsense happily.

"Come on in, Georgie." Fred said and waved his twin forward. George smiled and strolled into the room and it was odd. Hermione wasn't sure why, but it was. She considered his stance for a moment and finally recognized it from Harry.

George was nervous and acting shy. She'd literally never seen either twin do that.

She suddenly found herself extremely nervous.

"You two need to work on child products. Items for babysitters." Hermione blurted, mainly to break the silence.

Fred's eyes widened. "Blimey, she's right. We'd make a killing."

"It's not a bad idea." George agreed, fidgeting. Fred directed his full attention to George and surveyed him up and down. Hermione couldn't decide if she felt better knowing that or worse. Still, it was always nice to not be the only one out of the loop.

"Are you still rooming with Harry and Ron?" George finally blurted out.

Hermione blinked twice before she could come up with a response.

"I'm sorry?"

* * *

_A/N: __Quick update. I would not have the Fred/George/Hermione story end as a threesome. One twin would get her, one would not. It'd probably be from the unlucky twins view-point. Also, I was never talking about that particular love triangle appearing in this story. This one has enough without that. :) I haven't decided if I want to write that kind of story or not. I have a few ideas about a story with unrequited love and that would be an excellent way to do it... I'll have to think about it._

_I've randomly developed quite a love of Lavender. I think it's just that she makes me think of my sister in law. Anyway, I'm going to have her be a larger part of this story than my other ones. :) _

_On a totally random side note, any 'Boy Meets World' fans out there?_


	6. The one where Hermione moves

George fidgeted with his fingers, wrapping them around each other and twisting them before grabbing the other hand with the previously twisted fingers. "Do you still room with Harry and Ron?"

Hermione frowned and shook her head. "No. They have to move out for Auror duty. I'll need new ones or a new place to live."

George nodded his head, seemed to realize he was ringing his hands, and stuffed them into his pockets. Hermione watched it all with a raised eyebrow. She waited a full minute before deciding to prod him. "Why?"

George looked up, clearly startled and swallowed. He squared his shoulders and stood straighter, seeming to force himself to appear calmer. Hermione began to feel a bit worried. "Is everything alright?"

George looked surprise and gave his head a little nod. He forced a grin and Hermione glanced at Fred. He looked just as confused as she felt, which, while reassuring, was hardly helpful. "I have a proposal that I'm not sure how you'll react to."

"Tell it to me quickly. It kills your awkwardness and brings relief quicker." Hermione encouraged. It had always been her experience that the quicker you told bad or awkward news the better it was.

"I want you to move into our flat." George blurted. Hermione's eyes widened so much that it actually hurt her head a little.

"You what?" She splurted. Fred didn't react in any way.

George's shoulders slumped and his entire posture relaxed. "You were right, blimey! I do feel better." He grinned and stepped into the room, strolling forward until he reached the coffee table which he sat on top of. "I'd like you to move into our flat. We have a spare room, we keep a decently neat flat-neater than Ron anyway- and we could use a flat mate."

"Seriously?" Hermione asked, allowing her incredulousness to show in her voice. "You two need a flat mate? You're rich!"

Fred shook his head. "Not actually. We spent all of our savings on rebuilding the shop."

"Lee's moved in with Alicia or I'd ask him. You'd be perfect though. You're nice, neat, and we know you so it wouldn't be horribly awkward and we wouldn't have to worry about you being a psychopath." He leaned forward, his bright eyes mischievous and promising. "It'd solve your problems too."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond when she heard Molly call them to dinner from the kitchen. Fred quickly stood, along with George and Hermione slowly joined them. George grabbed her arm right before she left the couch.

"Think about it, please?" Hermione nodded her head and George followed Fred. She went to the kitchen to find Harry, Ron, Teddy, Ginny, Arthur, Molly, and Percy already there. She took her seat.

"The term morning sickness is woefully inaccurate." Bill informed everyone as he led a pale Fleur to the table where Molly was magicking the food. George and Fred watched him go with twinkling eyes while Hermione tried not to sigh.

She had no idea what to do. That described a majority of her life if she was being honest. She rarely knew what to do. She could only act and hope she'd chosen well. This would have to be no different.

She could look for another place, but she did not want to live alone. All the people she would care to be flatmates with already had their own flatmates and were not looking to move. She knew Fred and George and had years of practice living in the same building as them. She could do it quite easily. They were nice, and could be rather considerate when they wanted to be.

She spied George across the table, taking in his tense stance and the way his gaze rarely left Fred. There was more to his offer. He had other friends besides her he might have asked. She'd question him on it later.

She was going to accept. She'd sleep on it before offering a final opinion, but she was going to accept.

How utterly bizarre.

-o-o-o-

George was manically excited, and he was aware that he was manically excited. He couldn't calm down. He knew he was probably going to be unfair to Hermione, and that she really didn't have a reason to be pulled in on Fred's many problems, but hell, George didn't care. He was pulling Hermione right into the problem party.

He gave her another five minutes before she tugged him into a closet somewhere and asked him to explain why he was asking her to move in. She was a brilliant witch and would not accept that he just wanted a flatmate to help pay for the rent. Though, that was a very nice benefit.

George edged his way away from the rest of his family. Fred was sitting beside Ron who was carrying on an animated discussion about something, so he didn't have to worry about Fred doing something dangerous or desperate while he wasn't looking.

Hermione was sitting next to Harry and she was laughing quietly at a joke he'd told. Ginny was beaming at his other side and holding his hand. (The brother in George couldn't help but notice that they were sitting awfully close.)

Hermione glanced over Harry's head and George quickly looked away. He leaned back against the wall and propped a foot up, trying to look casual and like he wasn't waiting for her to notice him. He could feel her eyes on him so he waited for a beat before pushing himself off the wall and walking into the kitchen. He went to the cabinet over the sink and took out a glass that he twirled around for a moment.

"Why do you want me to move in?" George grinned and filled his glass up.

"I want your help." George turned around and leaned against the sink. Hermione had her arms crossed over her chest and a fairly blank expression. He wasn't sure what she was thinking about. Hermione crossed the kitchen until she was standing in front of the kitchen table a few feet away from George. She regarded him slowly.

"What with?"

"Fred."

"Why?"

George sighed and pinched his nose between his fingers. His head hurt. Actually, his head hurt a lot since the war had ended. "I should have thought it was obvious."

Hermione made a strange noise and George looked up. She had a hand over her mouth and looked shocked. "It wasn't the one –"

"No." George cut her off. He kept his face carefully controlled. "I watch him almost twenty-four/seven and I still can't stop him. He doesn't laugh, he doesn't smile, he doesn't event, he doesn't _care_. You've made him laugh three times today alone."

Hermione's eyes widened and she took a tiny step back and glanced at the living room where a bunch of laughs could be heard. George thought out what he wanted to say next. "I need that. I need someone who can make him laugh. I don't know why, but that's you. I'll _pay you_ to live in that room and make him laugh. You don't have to watch him, just help me." George's voice cracked and he gripped his cup more tightly.

He startled as a cool hand touched his arm. He looked up to see Hermione staring at him with knowing eyes. "Of course I'll help. I know what it's like to worry about someone… doing something unthinkable." She smirked and stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest again. "I will warn you that I have a cat. He can be a bit territorial and he still loves to eat Extendable Ears."

George grinned. A wave of relief washed through him that made his knees weak. He could deal with a cat. Hermione held her hand out and George gave it a grateful shake. "We have a deal, Miss Granger."

"It seems we do, Mr. Weasley."

-o-o-o-

Hermione stood perfectly still and stared at the door to her new flat. She had to knock on the door.

"Mrow." Hermione looked down at her unamused cat and frowned.

"Well there is no need to be critical. You could simply knock yourself." She adjusted her hold on him and knocked three quick times before she could lose her nerve. She heard a large bang from inside and then a shuffle before the door opened. George stood in front of her, a beaming smile on his face.

"Hermione!" He exclaimed as he stepped back and beckoned her inside. "You're early."

"Fashionably." Hermione pulled her suitcase in and looked around the flat. Fred was sitting on the floor with a still smoking cauldron in front of him. Hermione set Crookshanks on the floor and watched in mild amusement as he went straight towards Fred. He snuffled at his pockets and dove into one that was inside his robe. Fred looked up at George in surprise before looking down at the cat that was now pulling an extendable ear out of his pocket.

"You weren't kidding." George mumbled. Fred snorted and picked the cat up.

"You're crazy." Crookshanks chewed the ear happily and purred as Fred adjusted him so he was curled up in Fred's lap.

"Is this all you brought?" George asked. Hermione looked over her shoulder to see George lifting her suitcase up.

"No, that's it. I put the same spells on it as I did on my purse. It holds a lot more than it looks like."

George grinned. "Clever." He took it to the room at the end of the hall and left it on the bed. Hermione watched him go and sat down on the sofa beside Fred.

"What are you working on?"

Fred peered into his cauldron. "It was going to be a new chewing gum that changed your teeth to fangs."

Hermione peered at his ingredients. "Why did you need Asphrodite?" It was an explosive plant and should not be in anything that was going to go anywhere near anyone's teeth.

Fred blanched and pulled Crookshanks closer to his chest. "To start a chain reaction."

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "What chain reaction?"

"An explosive one." Fred sighed and looked down at Crookshanks who was frowning. Hermione had seen that particular judging look more times than she cared to count. Crookshanks tended to give it any time he thought someone was being obtuse or annoying. It was rather refreshing to see him give it to someone other than Ron though.

"Then use Crumpeter horn. It's far more volatile." Hermione suggested. She stood up and went to the kitchen, pulling open the cupboard door and peering at the contents. "Thank Merlin, at least one of you cook. Do you two have any plans for dinner?"

"Nope!" George called from the back room. Fred smiled and gave his head a little shake. He still looked a bit unsure which Hermione found reassuring. She didn't want him to know what to make of her.

"Then I'll just whip something up, shall I?" She received an affirmative from George and a nod from Fred. "While I cook would you show Crookshanks around, Fred? He likes tours and feels more comfortable when he knows where everything is."

"What do you say, Crookie? Want to go explore?" Crookshanks gave an affirmative 'merrup' and Fred stood up. Hermione watched them bot the leave while she pulled some pasta and beef out.

She wasn't terribly sure what all she'd gotten herself into, but for the moment she would be alright. She had a flat, food, friends, and her cat at least liked Fred. George seemed to believe she could be a positive influence on Fred and she'd be willing to try for that alone. She'd never been one to let friends fight alone, and she saw no reason to start now.

She heard a startled meow come from Fred's room, followed by a loud laugh and smiled.

It would work.


	7. The one where Fred Talks too Much

Fred was fairly certain he was on his way to narrowing down what was doing it and what just wasn't. In the beginning he'd thought the lake was a simple fluke, because when he'd submerged himself in the tub it hadn't done a thing. He'd gotten a bit more inventive after that. The stairs had nearly worked-he'd seen the lights but been jarred by Verity before he could fully reach one. The explosion had been brilliant and he'd managed to make contact with one light before they faded away. George had yelled at him for a solid thirty minutes but Fred had barely heard any of it past the hazy ecstasy that the lights had given him.

He wanted more of that. The numb feeling they left in their wake was terrible, and he just needed it to go away.

Hermione complicated things. First, Crookshanks was everywhere. The cat was clearly magical because Fred was sure he could apparate. Fred had tried three different explosions but Crookshanks had knocked him out of the way every time.

And Hermione herself was…odd. For one thing, she was funnier than Fred had ever remembered her being. She'd made him laugh, which was so much harder to do with the numb feeling that never left.

Aside from that though, she was always around and she was always _watching_.

Even when she wasn't looking at him Fred could feel her watching. She had the uncanny ability to make it feel like she knew everything that was going on around her. On her third night in the flat she'd been in the living room reading an article with her back to the kitchen. Crookshanks had been slinking around the stove quietly. Fred had an extendable ear and hadn't even been able to hear him walking. The cat had spotted a sweet roll and started towards it. He hadn't taken more than one silent step before Hermione flipped a page and said: "No rolls, Crookshanks."

The cat had proceeded to hold a staring contest with the back of Hermione's head before lifting his paw to take another step.

"Crookshanks! Fred, stop gaping at him and get him off the counter, please?" _And she never turned around._ It was uncanny. She even knew the exact moment that he did take the cat off the counter.

Which, to be fair, was probably because she'd spent so long with Harry and Ron. She'd probably had to develop an extra sense just to stay alive.

Right now, extra sense or not, Fred was going to get out of the flat. It would be easy. He just needed to get out of the kitchen and away from Hermione who was scribbling in a notebook with papers surrounding her and some spell flashing blue in front of her. The door was all of fifteen feet away.

Outside of it was adventure and lights. Fred could almost see them.

Fred swallowed thickly and took a tiny step forward. He exhaled silently and waited. Another breath and another step. Nothing from Hermione. Fred grinned and went forward as quickly as he could. Three steps later and a shrill whistle made him jump. He barely bit off a curse and spun on the spot to see a tea kettle going off.

"Fred? Would you fix me a cup, please? I'll make waffles for breakfast."

Fred's shoulders dropped. He'd have to delay his escape. He could do it. For waffles, he'd do almost anything.

He fixed the cup up quick as he could (slightly surprised that he knew Hermione liked it with two cubes of sugar and a dash of milk). "Here you go."

"Thanks." Hermione took the cup and sipped at it before scowling at her notes. She glanced at the spell and narrowed her eyes even more. Fred stared for a moment before taking a step back. He grabbed a cup up for himself and decided he'd try to see the lights in the flat. Maybe he could try a bath again…

"This is impossible." Hermione muttered, absently turning her tea around in the cup Fred gave her. She fingered the report's pages with the other hand and sighed, seeming completely unaware that Fred was even in the room, much less standing across from her. "What's impossible?" Fred sipped at his own tea and waited for Hermione to respond. Fred had discovered that you could ask her anything while she was distracted and she'd answer. It was taking advantage of the fact that she answered questions instinctually, but it did work. He was mildly curious as to how he could exploit it, but he hadn't thought of anything too interesting to ask yet.

"This problem." Hermione indicated the report she was working on. She sat back in her chair and huffed before studying Fred with her piercing gaze. He had the strangest feeling that he was being evaluated for something. She shrugged after a moment and flipped the report open. "Someone has killed a griffin just for its toenails. Why they didn't just trim the poor creatures nails I don't know."

"So killing it didn't make sense?" Fred clarified.

"Not at all. You can buy the toenails cheaply whereas the actual griffins are hard to find, and harder to kill." She huffed and flipped another page. "It's completely irresponsible and illogical."

"Well, maybe it was for a rite." Fred offered before sipping.

Fred hadn't really meant to get her attention. He'd just said it kind of flippantly. It was a good reason, but he didn't know anything about the case.

"No, that's ridiculous." Hermione started and then stopped, tilting her head before looking up. "Wait, a rite? What sort of a rite?" She sat upright in her chair abruptly, knocking over a stack of notes of the arm before she leaned forward in obvious anticipation.

"Oh," Fred flushed, uncomfortable under her expectant gaze. He hadn't really known what he was talking about. "You know. Dark magic rites. They're ancient, like, the founding of Hogwarts ancient."

Hermione scooted forward to the edge of her seat, giving Fred her complete attention. "Tell me more."

Fred stared at her for a moment, determining his likelihood of actually getting out of the conversation without giving her the answers she wanted. Fred wasn't even supposed to know the information, it was just because he'd been poking somewhere he shouldn't have that he did know it.

He wasn't going to get to take that bath anytime soon. The lights would have to wait. Fred was slightly surprised at the irritation he could feel about that. He embraced the emotion gleefully and dug around in his mind for everything he knew about rites.

"Well, I-uh. I don't really know that much about it. Just what I read in a book in my second year." Fred swallowed and fiddled with his cup. "It's an ancient, almost forgotten form of magic. Necromancy stems from it. You use runes to manipulate 'spirits' and create different events depending on what you want. You can summon a spirit to guard you, attack an enemy, or animate a corpse or other inanimate object." He paused, and was suddenly hit with inspiration. "Horcruxs are made from a type of rite."

"You learned about that in your second year?" Hermione looked appalled and Fred had to chuckle.

"You should have seen what all I found out in my first year."

"All that aside, it's a very plausible theory. But why a griffin?"

"Maybe they needed it's blood. Or it could just be that its sacrifice is what the spirit required. I don't really know. It's been years since I studied any of it."

"It's ingenious, really. No one would think of such an ancient magic, not without serious research. That would buy them time..." Fred shrugged and returned his attention to his tea. It was funny how much the drink could calm him. He vaguely wondered if it was properties of the tea leaf or just part of being British. He shifted around on his chair and looked up to find Hermione observing him. Fred didn't think anything of it. Hermione often drifted off in thought, staring aimlessly ahead. She wasn't actually looking at whatever she was staring at, it just happened to be in her field of vision. He figured that was just what was happening right now. She'd done that as long as he had known her. He could recall coming down stairs during her first year and seeing her staring straight ahead at the fire. She'd sat like that for a solid five minutes before her entire body jerked and she scrambled for a scroll of parchment. She'd then proceeded to scribble for ten or so minutes.

Fred continued to sip at his tea and watch the fire while waiting for her to come out of it.

Until her eyes begin to drift across his face, watching him in a way that made it clear she was, in fact, observing him. Fred swallowed his rather too large gulp of tea and swallowed noisily. Hermione didn't do so much as even blink so he set the cup down.

Hermione was still studying him, and it was beginning to make Fred a bit uneasy.

"Fred, are you busy this weekend?" Fred, focusing so hard on not fidgeting under the weight of her gaze, missed the question.

"Sorry?"

"Are you busy this weekend? I need someone to accompany me on this case. I originally intended to ask Harry or Ron, but they're on surveillance until further notice." She shrugged lightly as if it was of no matter but Fred didn't miss the flash of pain in her brown eyes. She probably missed them. He felt a brief flash of sympathy. She was supposed to finally be able to hang out with them now that the war was over.

Fred forced his mind to get back on to the question she'd asked. He played it over in his mind and gave his head a little nod. Hermione beamed and stood up. She swept her wand over all the papers and they stacked themselves up.

"Thank you ever so much! I'm going to the library to see what I can find out about rites. Will eleven work for you?"

"Huh? Oh, yes." Fred nodded his head and picked his tea up so that he'd have something to do with his hands.

"Smashing." Hermione cheered she headed to her bedroom with her papers and tea following. Fred watched until she shut the door.

That had been quite unexpected. If he were honest, Fred thought dimly as he swirled the dregs in his tea around absently, he wasn't quite sure what had just happened.

He rather felt like he had just signed over his weekend to go to libraries with Hermione. "Oh well," He murmured before downing the remainder of his tea. "Maybe I can find something on lights."

Crookshanks mewled from the kitchen and stared longingly at the sweet rolls. Fred snorted and stood up. He strode across the living room and deposited his cup into the sink. Hermione had charmed the sweet rolls so that only humans could get at them. Crookshanks had yet to get over what he clearly saw as a very deep betrayal of the worst kind.

Fred fished one out of the bowl and handed it to the cheerful cat. "Here you go, Crookie. At least one of should have some fun." Fred let out a deep, bone weary sigh and scratched Crookshanks behind the ear. At least he wouldn't have to be bored. The numbness would see to that.

At least it was something to do.


End file.
